City honors the man behind Westside's Derby Park: New monument erected at park

SANTA CRUZ -- Visitors to the Westside's Derby Park can now learn a bit more about how the popular park got its name.

City officials unveiled a 6-foot granite memorial on Saturday that tells the story of former police Sgt. Charles Derby, a man who served the Santa Cruz Police Department for 27 years and dedicated his life to improving the lives of children.

Derby died from a heart attack in 1972, and the park was named after him in 1979 with a small plaque below a tree without any indication to who he was.

"It's been hard all these years with just a name on the plaque and not one person knew the park was named after a person," said Derby's daughter Jeanne Baker, who lives in the house she grew up in on the Eastside.

A corner of the grassy park near Pacific Collegiate School on Woodland Way was filled with residents and city leaders, including City Manager Martin Bernal and Parks Director Danettee Shoemaker along with some police officers and a few city council members for the memorial dedication.

Several speakers shared Derby's personal story, emphasizing his love for children and working to keep them safe.

He was known for taking kids camping and offering toys and food.

Derby would often take troubled kids under his wing and play Ping Pong or drink root beer with them to help steer them from breaking the law.

The police department's Deputy Chief Steve Clark, who never met Derby, has heard several accounts of Derby's work in the community and said he's been inspired in his own work by Derby's legacy.

"He looked at this job as more than a job," Clark said. "He was fascinating and inspiring."

The re-dedication of Derby Park was largely led by Councilman David Terrazas, who met Baker during a tree planting event at the park last year.

When he learned the story of Sgt. Derby, Terrazas thought he deserved a more prominent recognition.

"He invested his life in this community," Terrazas said. "I think it's important we recognize him for his community work and making Santa Cruz a safe place for kids and families."

Skater Alex Valverde, a Redwood City teen sponsored by Santa Cruz Skateboards, showed off his skills at Derby Park's skatepark, which was the first skatepark in Santa Cruz County.

"The roots of skating are here," Valverde said. "It's cool, it's just one of the first parks built."